We report on optical waveguide structures with light propagation in a nematic liquid crystalline thin film. The liquid crystal (LC) is sandwiched between two so-called photochromic command layers, consisting of a polymer with azobenzene side chains. When exposed to light of appropriate wavelength, the azobenzene side chains undergo a trans cis isomerization process, inducing a homeotropic parallel change in the LC alignment. These orientational changes affect the set of refractive indices of the LC thin film and, hence, can be detected by optical waveguide methods. As a possible application of the command surface effect in optical waveguide structures, we present an optical switching and information storage device.